Mikkeller Beer Celebration: pressure from below works. A lot still to do
On Thursday social media saw identical posts from 8 UK brewers who were planning to attend next week’s Mikkeller beer celebration in Copenhagen but have now decided after, they say, engaging with criticism, not to.
It’s not really clear who they engaged with, aside from reading the comments on their own social media feeds, anymore than it was clear who they had asked about their earlier now abandoned plan to hold a meeting around the festival to see what should be done about sexism, harassment and bullying in craft beer.
As employers they are not ideally placed to determine problems raised by employees without first having a proper framework in which this can be done. As I’ve previously noted, trade union recognition is one obvious way.
The exit of UK brewers reflects the pressure from below exerted by those who have been victims one way or another of a macho craft beer culture being prepared to speak out. That is no easy matter for them
The wider question now raised is what is going to be done. The temptation perhaps will be to view the Mikkeller fest as a ‘regrettable mistake’ and move on with nothing changing. That is not acceptable and should not be accepted.
To check the scale of the issues the Brewdog Collabfest and the Wetherspoons autumn beerfest both start shortly. Both companies have significant questions marks over how they treat their employees and neither recognise a union. Check the breweries taking part and you will find some familiar craft beer names…
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